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David Ross
David Wade Ross (born March 19, 1977) is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Ross played college baseball for Auburn University and the University of Florida, and participated in two College World Series. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and has played for six different Major League teams. Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-2004) Although Ross was originally drafted in the 19th round of the 1995 amateur draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he did not sign and instead accepted a scholarship to attend Auburn. In 1998, the Dodgers again selected Ross in the 7th round of the amateur draft. He signed and made his major league debut on June 28, 2002, and was with the team until 2004. On September 2, 2002, Ross hit his first career home run off Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Mark Grace. The Dodgers were winning 18-0, and the Diamondbacks put Grace in to pitch, after he volunteered, to rest the bullpen. Ross' Dodger career was stagnated, however, by the large number of catchers in the Dodger system. Paul Lo Duca was the starting catcher through most of Ross' time in Los Angeles, and teammates like Brent Mayne, Koyie Hill, and Todd Hundley competed with him for playing time. Ross hit 6 Home runs in his first 27 Career At-Bats, spanning from 2002-2003, the 3rd most HRS in first 27 Career At-Bats in Dodgers history. Pittsburgh Pirates/San Diego Padres (2005) Ross was sold by the Dodgers to the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 30, 2005. After 40 games with the Pirates, he was traded to the San Diego Padres on July 28, 2005 for infielder J. J. Furmaniak. He played in only 11 games with the Padres. Cincinnati Reds (2006-2008) He was traded by the Padres to the Cincinnati Reds during spring training for the 2006 season. While Ross was most often used as the "personal catcher" for right-hander Bronson Arroyo, whom the Reds received in a spring training trade with the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Wily Mo Peña, the consensus among Reds fans was that Ross had proven himself deserving of being the number one catcher due to his better offensive numbers and that one of the other Reds catchers, Jason LaRue or Javier Valentín, should have been dealt (possibly as part of a package deal) for a relief pitcher. LaRue was the one most frequently cited, but no deal was made by the July 31 trade deadline. However, on November 20, 2006, LaRue was traded to the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named later. On January 15, 2006, David Ross signed a two-year, $4.54m deal with the Reds. Ostensibly, Ross was the number one catcher. Arguably, one of David Ross' most memorable moments as a Cincinnati Red occurred on April 26, 2006, against the Washington Nationals at the Nationals' former home field, the expansive, pitcher-friendly RFK Stadium. Facing right-hander (and former Red) Ramón Ortiz in the third inning, Ross blasted a pitch deep into the upper deck stands in right-center field. The home run traveled an estimated 474 feet (144.7 m). Ross' 2007 season started with a 4 hits in 38 at-bats with no home runs and 17 strikeouts. On April 21, 2007, his slump hit rock bottom when with runners on 1st and 2nd, he grounded into a rare 5-4-3 triple play against the Philadelphia Phillies. Ross finished the 2007 season with a .203 batting average and 17 home runs. On August 10, 2008, Ross was designated for assignment and was released on August 18. Boston Red Sox (2008) On August 22, 2008, Ross signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox and came up to the major league club on August 29. Later on in the season he became a free agent. Atlanta Braves (2009-2012) Ross during his tenure with the Atlanta Braves in 2012 On December 5, 2008, the Atlanta Braves signed Ross to a two-year, $3 million deal. On July 27, 2010, he signed a two-year extension to stay with the Braves through 2012. For four seasons Ross was the Atlanta Braves secondary catcher behind Brian McCann. His hot start in the 2011 season (batting .333 after starting 7 games, with 3 home runs) highlighted his strengths, as Ross has always been known as a strong defensive catcher. Second stint with the Boston Red Sox (2013-present) On November 10, 2012, Ross signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal to return to the Red Sox as "more than a backup but not a starter" behind primary catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Ross twice suffered concussions and spent over two months on the disabled list during the regular season. However, he returned to health in time to play a key role in Boston's run to the championship, starting 4 games during the 2013 World Series and driving in the game-winning run with an RBI double in Game 5.